The lymphatic system works to remove toxins from your body. Lymph fluid surrounds all of your cells and removes wastes and toxins, which the lymph nodes collect and dispose of. Marcella Pick, RNC, MSN, OB/GYN NP, a nurse practitioner with Women to Women, says, "Breathing serves as the pump for the lymphatic system, just as the heart serves the circulatory system." Dr. Andrew Weil says, "Lymph fluid circulates as a result of muscular contraction, including the muscles used in breathing that support normal physical activity." Practicing deep breathing helps to strengthen your lymphatic system.
Simple Deep Breathing
Before you can take a full breath in, you have to fully breathe out. Your lungs need to be empty before you can fill them properly. To practice this, sit in a comfortable position and relax. Breathe out through your nose, pushing with your abdominal muscles to help deflate your lungs. Hold for two counts while your lungs are empty, then slowly inhale through your nose to the count of five. Repeat this process five to ten times.
Tony Robbins Breathing
Motivational speaker Tony Robbins has developed a deep breathing exercise as part of his "keys to unlimited power." This breathing method involves breathing in a particular ratio. You breathe in for one part, hold for four parts, and then breathe out for two parts. The "parts" can be any number of seconds, as long as you maintain the ratio. For example, you might breathe in for three seconds, hold for twelve seconds, and breathe out for six seconds. Robbins recommends practicing this deep breathing exercise in the morning and evening to energize your lymphatic system.
Dr. William T. Jarvis of the National Council Against Health Fraud argues that Robbins's methods are faulty, claiming that "deep breathing (which can't be sustained) has no significant effect on oxygen uptake."
Breathing with Exercise
You can practice certain exercises to improve your breathing and work out at the same time. Yoga, for example, incorporates many breathing exercises with body stretches. Try the yoga "fire breath": Close your mouth and breathe in and out quickly in succession through your nose. Or try the deep breathing exercise in which you stand up, exhale as you bend your body toward your toes and inhale on your way back up.
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